


Reformation Soul

by mage_cat



Series: Home, not Homeworld [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5544566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_cat/pseuds/mage_cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Peridot regenerates, Amethyst gets her in private for a closer inspection. Set after "Variation on the Petal Thing."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reformation Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Finally getting some more Amedot into this series. Thank you all for your patience.

“I still find the circumstances embarrassing,” Peridot said as she flopped onto a cushion in Amethyst's room. Everyone had been nothing but positive about her regeneration. She just wished that the lead-up to it had been different.

“I'm telling you Peri. There is no shame in getting poofed during training. We've all done it,” Amethyst replied, still standing.

“By your own weapon?”

“Yep. Last time Pearl had to regenerate it was 'cuz she was stabbed by her own hologram.”

“That actually does make me feel better.”

“Good. 'Sides, technically it was Steven's attack that poofed you.”

“I doubt that was his intention,” Peridot responded dryly. Truthfully, none of them, save Garnet if she had thought to consider the possibility, could have predicted the exact series of events. Peridot's boomerang had ricocheted off of Steven's shield. Normally, after hitting something, the loss of momentum resulted in dismissal of Perdot's weapon, and she would create another. This was the first time Steven had been her target. His blocking method had resulted in the boomerang returning to its owner. It had surprised Peridot enough that she failed to catch it and had instead been hit, full force, in the chest.

“He _was_ pretty upset at first, but I know you've been wanting to regenerate for a while now.” Amethyst grinned. “Can't say I can argue with the results.”

Peridot smirked. “Yes, you can find the ends of my hair now.”

The reference to something Amethyst had said during one of their first nights together got her laughing. “Please tell me that's not the only reason you chose that hairstyle.” The two short locks that framed Peridot's face were the only similarities to what her hair had looked like before. The rest was gathered back into a bun that did, in fact, have quite a few loose ends sticking out of it.

“Of course not. A number of aesthetic and practical considerations also entered my discussions. You know the old style had almost nothing to do with me.” It had been another yellow diamond shape. The more Amethyst had thought about that, the stranger she had found it. Wearing an emblem on your clothes was one thing, extending that to an entire hairstyle was just bizarre, and none of it had been Peridot's idea. It had all been a uniform.

“I'm not just imagining it, right? You changed to color too?”

“Just a little. The previous tint was at the far end of my available spectrum anyway. With the diamonds gone, it simply made sense to make it greener.” Peridot leaned forward, her expression playful. “So, about this 'closer inspection' you requested to get me in here?”

“Like we needed an excuse,” Amethyst said as she pulled Peridot up and put her arms around the green Gem's waist.

Peridot now wore a dark green, sleeveless tunic with leggings in a lighter version of the same color. You can tell a lot about a Gem by the clothes she made for herself. Pearl always had something on her that flowed or fluttered when she moved. She took pride in being graceful and wanted to show it off. Amethyst kept her clothes soft and loose. For her, comfort was most important. Peridot's tunic was very structured, almost stiff, in the way it followed the shape of her body without limiting any range of movement.

It took Amethyst a few moments to piece together what it reminded her of. The way Peridot was playing with Amethyst's hair wasn't speeding up her thought process either. Once she did, she took a step back to look Peridot in the eyes, keeping her hands covering the bright green star Peridot now had on each hip.

“You would tell me if you missed your limb enhancers, right?”

Peridot was more than a little confused by the question. “Why do you ask?”

“It's just that your tunic is making me think of armor a little, and your enhancers kinda _were_ armor, and well, I've been feeling a bit guilty for throwing them away like I did.”

She took a moment, considering how to articulate one of the primary thoughts that had been in her mind as she had designed her new form. “I had been feeling a bit… exposed, I guess. That's not completely a bad thing though.” She ran her fingers along Amethyst's jawline before cupping her cheek. “The increased tactile feedback is, frankly, amazing. Realizing that I could actually _touch_ the world was my first positive experience on this planet. It makes everything more solid, more real. You may have noticed that my arms are still bare.”

“But you still have your visor.” It was shorter now, only covering her eyes, and was now a gray transparent enough to not hide the green of those eyes, but still…

“And I added a sturdy pair of boots,” Peridot continued for her, slightly exasperated and tapping the black footwear in question on the ground for emphasis. She had been pleased with how concentrating just a little bit more mass at the bottoms of her feet had made her feel more grounded. “Amethyst, I am still very new to this planet, this team, just about everything. I am pretty sure not being a little scared would be a sign of insanity. So, yes, many of my choices were about feeling... I guess the word would be 'protected.' I promise you that the only thing I miss about my limb enhancers by this point is my old research. If you insist on feeling guilty, feel guilty for causing the team to lose that information. Now, do I have to continue to mollify your Quartz protective instincts, or do you want to continue your inspection?” She thought it was a bit unfair for Amethyst to offer the opportunity for tactile stimulation and then back out so quickly.

“Does everything have to be about logic with you?” Amethyst asked as she fiddled with the high V neckline of Peridot's tunic.

“It has gotten me through life so far. I think you will agree that I got more than a little emotional when I thought that Earth was going to explode with me still on it, and surprise always takes some time to adjust to. I like to think that I'm starting to handle surprise better than I used to. There is so much more to be surprised by on this planet. Hey, watch this.” Peridot began fiddle with the bun at the back of her head, undoing the short series of twists and knots that held it up until it all fell loose.

“Curls, can't say I was expecting that.”

For half a moment, Peridot had wondered if Amethyst had gotten the terminology right. The locks that now reached her shoulders were much looser than Rose Quartz's ringlets had been, to judge by the portrait that the Crystal Gems kept hung over their front door. Concerns about exact wording, however, left her mind as purple fingers began to work their way through the green strands. She relaxed into the touch.

“Like I said, there are many surprises on this planet. This is the configuration it fell into once I released the hold of the old style.”

“It's pretty. Why aren't you wearing like this?”

“Because whatever else I'm becoming here, I'm still a technician. I do not want to have to worry about my hair getting caught in whatever mechanism I'm working on.”

“Then why not just wear it short?”

Peridot blushed momentarily, not quite wanting to admit to the thought process. “I didn't want to look like I was taking too many ideas from Pearl. She would be insufferable about it.”

Amethyst let out a short huff of a laugh. “That's true.” Nothing was more annoying than Pearl being smug over someone telling her she had a point about something. “Well, congratulations, I don't think you look anything like Pearl.”

“Thank you. Besides, I like the idea of my hair being down being something just between you and me, in private.”

“I like being alone with you.”

Since Peridot had officially joined the Crystal Gems, the two had quickly come to an unspoken agreement to keep most of their intimacy out of the sight of the others. It would almost had been easier if they had disapproved of whatever you could call the relationship building between Amethyst and Peridot. Amethyst thrived on small acts of defiance, and Peridot had no problem being blunt. But faced with the way the others smiled at them, the two simply became self-conscious. Steven was particularly obvious, but Pearl and Garnet weren't being as subtle as they probably thought they were either.

“Then let's make the most of our privacy while we have it,” Peridot said as they both leaned into a kiss.


End file.
